Operating device for closures



.fuly 26, 193s.

M. s. KIRKPATRIGK OPERATING DEVICE FOR CLOSURES Filed March 9, 1957 L a @El N.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORVNEY July 26, 1938- lM. s. KIRKPATRICK 2,125,183

OPERATING DEVICE FOR CLOSURES Filed March 9, 1957 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to operating devices for closures such as gates, doors and the like of the lsliding type and has vfor the .primary object the provision of an efficient and inexpensive de- 5` vice of this character which may be easily actuated by a person to slide the closure either to open or closed positions Without the person moving from a selected position of operation and includes means for checking the movement of the closure as it nears either its open or closed position to prevent said closure from stopping suddenly which might damage the closure or the parts of the operating device.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a closure equipped with an operating device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, showing parts of the operating device occupying positions when the closure is in an open position.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a pulley construction.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 1.

I have elected to show my invention adapted to a sliding type gate I, however, the present invention is readily adaptable to other types of closures. Shown associated with the gate are vertically arranged posts 2 and 3 forming therebetween an entrance to be closed by the gate I and to be opened by the gate I moving in the direction of a post 4 located beyond the post 2. The posts are connected by a cross member 5, the height of which is such that vehicles and the like may pass freely through the entrance between the posts 2 and 3. A track 6 is connected to the posts in a plane below the cross member 5, however, at a height which will be sufficient to permit passing of vehicles and the like through the entrance defined by the posts 2 and 3. Hangers 'I secured to the gate I are provided with rollers 8 that travel on the track 6 so that the gate may be made to slide freely to open and closed positions. The track 6 is of channel iron construction which will aid in excluding weather elements from the rollers 8. The upper portions of the posts are slotted and operating therein is a beam 9, one end of which is pivoted to the post 4, as shown at I0, while the opposite end projects slightly beyond the post 3 and has pivoted thereto a hanger or bracket II on which are journaled connected sheaves I2 and I3. The last-named end of the beam is connected to an operating lever I4 by a connecting rod I5. The operating lever I4 is pivoted on the post 3 adjacent the vground and its free end is pivotally connected to a pivotally mounted treadle I6 located adjacent the entrance dened by the posts 2 and 3.

A groove I1 is formed in the beam 9 and extends substantially the full length thereof to provide a guideway for one run of a cable I8. .-Ar1' other run of the cable passes over a pulley I9 journaled on the post 4 and a pulley 20 journaled on the pivoted end of the beam. One end of the cable is fastened to one end of the gate, as shown at 2l. The cable as it leaves the guideway at the non-pivoted end of the beam passes over a pulley 22 journaled on the beam and also passes about the sheave I2 and is connected to the opposite end. of the gate by a member 23.

A flexible element 24 is secured to one end of the member 5 and to a bracket 25 secured on the post 3. The flexible element 24 is disposed vertically and is passed about the sheave I3 so that said sheave will be rotated by the upward and downward movement of the free end of the beam 9. The sheaves being thus rotated will cause the gate to be slid open and closed. AS the free end of the beam moves upwardly, the gate slides open and as the free end of the beam moves downwardly the gate slides closed. The pivotal movement of the beam 9 is caused by the manual actuation of the treadle I6.

A supporting structure 26 is secured to the post 3 and includes horizontally and vertically arranged members and secured to the horizontal member are pulleys 2l over which a flexible element 28 is trained. Pivoted on the supporting structure 26 are levers 29 and 3U located in the path of movement of the operating lever I4 and arranged above and below the latter. One end of the flexible element 28 is secured to the lever 3U and the other end of the flexible element has a weight 3| secured thereto. The flexible element 28 is secured to the lever 29. As the operating lever I4 moves upwardly to bring about opening of the closure it engages the lever 29 lifting the weight 3i for the purpose of checking or retarding the movement of the closure towards said open position and on movement of the lever I downwardly to close the gate it engages with the lever 30 bringing about raising of the Weight 3| and thereby checking or retarding the movement of the closure towards a closed position. It is to be understood that the operating lever I4 only engages the levers 29 and 30 as the closure nears its closed or open position,

What is claimed is:

l. A closure operating device including a clotsure mounted for sliding movement into either open or closed position, a supporting structure for said closure, a beam pivotally mountedon said'. supporting structure, sheaves journaled on the beam, means carried by the supporting structure to engage the sheaves for impartingl yrotation thereto by the pivotal movement of the beam, operating means connected to the beam for imparting pivotal movement'thereto, and flexible means connected With 'opposite ends of the closure and engaged by the sheaves for sliding the closure by the pivotal movement of said beam.y 1

2L A closure operating device including a closure mounted for sliding movement into either open or closed position, a supporting structure for said closure, a beam pivotally mounted on said supporting structure,l 'sheaves journaled on the beam, means carried by the supporting structure to engage the sheaves for imparting rotation thereto bythe pivotal movement ofY the beam, operating means co-nnectedto the vbean'i for imparting pivotal movement thereto, ilexible means connected with opposite ends of the closure and engaged by the sheaves for sliding the. closure by the pivotal movement of said beam, and means for slidably mounting the ilexible means on the beam.

3. A closure operating device including a closure mounted for sliding movement into eitherY open or closed position, a supporting structure for said closure, a beam pivotally mounted on saidv supporting structure, sheaves journaled on the beam, meanscarriedby the supporting structure' to engage the sheaves for imparting rotation thereto by the pivotal movement of the beam, operating means connected to the beam for imparting pivotal movement thereto, flexible means connected with opposite ends of the closure and engaged by the sheaves for sliding the closure by the pivotal movement of said beam, means for slidably mounting the flexible means on the Y beam, and means connected tovsaid operating means for retarding the movement of the closure'as the latter, reaches near the limit of its movement. Y y

if 4. An operating device for closures comprising a supporting structure, a closure slidably mounte-d on said supporting structurafa beam pivoted lon said vsupporting structure, sheaves journaled onthebeam,v a flexible element secured to the supportingstructureand engaging said sheaves to impart rotation thereto by the pivotal move= ment o1 the beam, a exible element connected to thesheaves and to opposite ends of said closure,

means slidablyy connecting said flexible elementV on said beam, means for supporting the eXible element on the supporting structure, and a treadle operated means connect-edl to the beam.

5. Anoperating device for closures comprising a supporting structure, a closure slidably mounted on said supporting structure, a beam pivoted on said supporting structure, sheaves journaled on Y the beam, a ilexible element secured to the supiliary levers, and a Weight connected to one endy of the last-named flexible element.

45 MAR-TIN S. KIRKPATRICK. 

